Best Way To Fix A Sidewalk

What’s the best way to fix a sidewalk? It all depends on what’s wrong with it.

Sinking or Settling

If a sidewalk is sinking and otherwise in good shape, then foam jacking or mud jacking are great processes for lifting the settled sidewalk back into place. Here are a few pictures of settled and sinking sidewalks which are good candidates for lifting sidewalk repairs.

Settled sidewalk that’s a good candidate for sidewalk repair by slab jacking

Falling Apart

Sidewalks that have cracked/deteriorated to the point of falling apart aren’t good candidates for lifting repairs. Lifting repairs require the sidewalk’s structural integrity to be intact. While a few cracks in a slab is generally OK, more than a few cracks, particularly where the sidewalk has broken down into relatively small pieces, usually indicate that a slab should be replaced.

Sidewalk that’s deteriorated to the point of requiring replacement.

Surface is Flaking Off

If it looks like the surface of your concrete is flaking off, usually this means it’s best to replace the concrete. Sometimes, coatings can be applied to concrete where the surface is flaking. However, flaking usually indicates full-thickness deterioration, which surface patching won’t fix. Deterioration that’s limited to just the surface of a slab can be addressed by coating. The type of contractor who does this is called a ‘concrete coatings contractor’.